AAA on Fox unmasking spot leads to speculation about rule change
It is not clear if unmasking an opponent still leads to a disqualification in AAA.
The finish of Octagon Jr. and the original El Grande Americano’s match on AAA on Fox has raised questions about a potential rule change in the company. Americano ripped off Octagon’s mask in front of the referee on Saturday’s show in Mexico City before making him tap out to an ankle lock.
“You can’t pull the mask,” Rey Mysterio, who was on commentary for the show, is heard saying as Americano grabbed at Octagon’s mask.
After Americano was declared the winner, Mysterio asked, “Was this no disqualification?”
Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez addressed the situation on the Saturday evening edition of Wrestling Observer Radio.
Meltzer said:
“People were really upset, and quite frankly they should be, because obviously in Mexico if you unmask a guy it’s a DQ, but in WWE you unmask a guy it’s not a DQ. So again, we’re seeing more and more lucha libre turn into American style.
It’s happening a little bit in CMLL, it’s happening far more in AAA. There are people who like the traditional style and hate the traditions changing, but when WWE bought it, that’s what was going to happen. It’s just how it is.”
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.